Practice Management Urgent Care Occupational Medicine Defined Urgent message: Offering occupational medicine services can broaden the reach and increase revenue opportunities for an urgent care practice. Donna Lee Gardner, RN, MS, MBA joint International Labor O r g a n i z a t i o n / Wo r l d Health Organization com- mittee defines occupa- tional health as the “pro- motion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental, and social well-being of workers in all occupations.” This article will refine that definition as it applies to ur- gent care occupational medi- cine (UCOM) and explore the rationale for incorporating products and services of value to employers within an urgent care clinic. © Alberto Ruggieri/Illustration Works/Corbis A Scope of Practice Clinics that offer occupational medicine services are uniquely positioned to help em- ployers manage worker health, injury, illness, and dis- ability in a time of rising medical costs—and increase their own chance for economic survival in an increas- ingly competitive healthcare marketplace. It is estimated that only about 1,000 board-certified oc- cupational and environmental physicians are practicing in the United States, which reveals the need for physi- cians who are skilled in urgent care, emergency medi- w w w. j u c m . c o m cine, internal medicine, and family practice to step in and work with cost- and quality- conscious local employers who are looking for alternatives. The path to board certifica- tion in occupational medicine is via the American Board of Preventive Medicine. One of 24 medical specialties recog- nized by the American Board of Specialties, preventive med- icine encompasses multiple population-based and clinical approaches to health care, in- cluding occupational and en- vironmental health. Another organization, the National As- sociation of Occupational Health Professionals, was cre- ated in 1990 to support the advancement of the field of occupational medicine. Urgent Care Occupational Medicine The UCOM delivery model requires the clinician to build not only a high level of confidence with patients, but also a rapport with each employer client. Typical occupational health services that can be read- ily incorporated into an urgent care clinic include work- JUCM T h e J o u r n a l o f U r g e n t C a r e M e d i c i n e | J a n u a r y 2 0 0 8 31